Today, we'll take a look at the remaining defensive depth charts in the final part of my two-part series. Each section will include analysis on rookies who could pay dividends in the near future.
In case you haven't read part 1, follow this link: http://www.pff.com/blog/2011/08/25/fantasy-preseason-rookie-report-depth-charts-part-1/
Miami Dolphins
1st and 2nd team: no rookies
Fantasy Implications: The Dolphins went offense with all 4 of their picks in the first 6 rounds. It’s no surprise that rookies are absent from the two deep on defense. Zero fantasy impact unless someone from the 3rd team and beyond can wow the team enough to jump them to starter.
Minnesota Vikings
1st team: no rookies; 2nd team: WLB Ross Homan, FS Mistral Raymond
Fantasy Implications: 6th round pick Ross Homan out of Ohio State is breathing right down the neck of Erin Henderson at WLB. Henderson, the younger brother to MLB E.J. Henderson, has only played in 33 snaps the past 3 years so he is an unproven commodity but it is looking like it is his job to lose. Another 6th rounder this time out of South Florida, Mistral Raymond fits the Minnesota mold at Safety of having an uncommon first name (Tyrell, Husain, Jamarca, the now 49er Madieu). As someone with one of the most common first names, I respect that. Husain Abdullah ended last season as the starter at SS, and now shifts over to FS, where he also has experience. Grading overall at +4.5, Abdullah’s strengths appear to favor being on the strongside, with a +5.3 run defense rating versus a -3.0 grade in coverage. He will be another player whose performance should be monitored because the rookie Mistral Raymond is waiting to capitalize if given the opportunity. Raymond does carry dynasty value because the aforementioned Abdullah is only signed to a 1 year contract with the Vikings.
New England Patriots
1st and 2nd team: no rookies
Fantasy Implications: With the amount of holes in the New England defense, I was truly surprised when the Patriots elected to go offense with 6 of their first 7 picks. The lone early defender was CB Ras-I Dowling out of Virginia and he is listed as a 3rd stringer on the depth chart. He has the talent to move up or else he wouldn’t have been selected in the 2nd round. Still, it’s hard to imagine him taking large chunks of playing time from Devin McCourty (+11.6) and veteran Leigh Bodden, who missed all of the 2010 season but graded out at +10.2 overall in 2009. Dowling should still see time in nickel and dime packages for New England.
New Orleans Saints
1st and 2nd team: no rookies
Fantasy Implications: It is surprising that neither 1st rounder DE Cameron Jordan or 3rd rounder SLB Martez Wilson have cracked the 2 deep yet. I don’t expect that to continue for long with the relative lack of depth at those positions. While Jordan will most likely not receive a ton of snaps with Alex Brown, Will Smith, and Turk McBride all at DE, Martez Wilson has the talent to beat out starter Will Herring at SLB. There is also some belief that Wilson may be groomed as a future replacement for Jonathan Vilma. Keep an eye on the competition and Wilson’s progress; in the meantime he may be worth stashing on IDP dynasty benches.
New York Giants
1st team: no rookies; DE Justin Trattou, WLB Jacquian Williams
Fantasy Implications: UNC DT Marvin Austin had 1st round talent but character red flags which resulted in him falling to the laps of the Giants in the 2nd round. He began on the depth chart as the backup to DT Chris Canty (+12.9) but his rookie campaign has been derailed and will miss the upcoming year with a torn pectoral muscle. Undrafted free agent Justin Trattou is benefiting from Osi Umenyiora’s injury for now but he will have to earn his money on special teams before getting in on one of the best Defensive End units in football. 6th rounder Jacquain Williams is another linebacker to come out of USF, but is behind WLB Michael Boley (+7.8). A big missing piece from the Giants draft class is rookie CB Prince Amukamara, who will be sidelined for the start of the season while healing a broken foot. When he returns later this season, he is the obvious player to fill the big vacancy opened up when New York lost leading fantasy LCB Terrell Thomas for the year to a torn ACL.
New York Jets
1st team: DE Muhammad Wilkerson; 2nd NT Kenrick Ellis, ILB Nick Bellore
Fantasy Implications: First rounder Muhammed Wilkerson out of Temple was plugged into the starting lineup right away. He’s very athletic for a big man but it’s still to be determined how much of a statistical force he will be. It’s unlikely that 3rd round pick Kenrick Ellis from Hampton or UDFA Nick Bellore (Central Michigan) can get onto the field behind 3 of the best in the NFL at their positions Bart Scott, David Harris, and Sione Pouha. Ellis still may carry some dynasty value as Pouha is a free agent at season’s end.
Oakland Raiders
1st team: no rookies; 2nd team: CB DeMarcus Van Dyke
Fantasy Implications: Former Miami Hurricane DeMarcus Van Dyke ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at the combine so it should come as no surprise that he was drafted by Oakland in the 3rd round. What may come as a surprise though is that he’s already on the 2nd team, right behind starter Chris Johnson (-4.4 in just 388 snaps). If Johnson struggles again, Van Dyke could get thrown into the mix. Van Dyke himself is about as raw as they come, so I wouldn’t bet on him becoming a fantasy force, especially with a brittle 176 lb body (and a combine low 5 bench press reps) not exactly build for tackling.
Philadelphia Eagles
1st team: MLB Casey Matthews; 2nd MLB Greg Lloyd, FS Jaiquawn Jarrett
Fantasy Implications: Casey Matthews (4th round), hailing from the runner-up Oregon Ducks, is an interesting subject. He’s not even close to as talented as his brother Clay, so let’s get that out of the way first. He has been handed the MLB duties and early on is receiving mixed reviews. Some say it’s rookie preseason mistakes, others say he’s not strong enough or to be blunt- not good enough. Even though it is tempting to want a piece of the dream team, I would recommend being cautious about Matthews. While sometimes even a bad season can produce a good fantasy season, due to the wealth of talent around Matthews and the high expectations he might be on a short leash. Philly’s 7th rounder Greg Lloyd is listed at 2nd behind Matthews, but in the event that a change is needed I doubt that they replace one rookie with another. Jamar Chaney, who moved from middle linebacker to strongside backer this year, would be the likely filler at middle linebacker if Matthews falters. At Free Safety, Jaiquawn Jarrett is one of my sleepers but 2nd year Kurt Coleman (-0.3) is about as steady (yet unspectacular) as they come. If the Temple Owl Jarrett can use his 2nd round talent to unseat Coleman, he could become a hot commodity. Already with 1 interception in the preseason, Jarrett would ironically benefit from the poor tackling of Asante Samuel, DRC, and Nnamdi Asomugha to increase his own statistical significance. Be sure to check back on this one throughout the season to see if he overcomes Coleman.
Pittsburgh Steelers
1st team: no rookies; 2nd DE Cameron Heyward
Fantasy Implications: Cameron Heyward was one of my favorite prospects coming out of Ohio State. He landed just one state away in Pittsburgh when they took him in the late 1st round and should see time in the rotation. Brett Keisel (+7.1), the oft-injured Aaron Smith (just 283 snaps in 2010, 250 in 2009), and huge disappointment Ziggy Hood (-13.5) will rotate with Heyward causing the unit to most likely perform better, but not Heyward to stand out in fantasy terms. It is worth mentioning though that Aaron Smith is a free agent at the end of the year so Cam Heyward’s value is there in dynasty leagues. Interestingly, the Steelers drafted a pair of CBs in the 3rd and 4th rounds (Curtis Brown, Texas; Cortez Allen, Citadel) to help a unit that got torched by Green Bay in the Super Bowl, but neither has been able to get higher than the 4th unit. There is some speculation that Bryant McFadden's roster spot is in limbo and understandably so after posting a -7.9 overall grade last season, including -8.8 in pass coverage. If McFadden is a cap casualty, keep an eye on which of the two rookies moves up in the depth chart.
San Diego Chargers
1st team: no rookies; 2nd DE Corey Liuget, ILB Andrew Gachkar, ILB Jonas Mouton, CB Marcus Gilchrist
Fantasy Implications: Three new pieces have already found themselves on the 2-deep of last years’ number 1 ranked defense. 1st rounder Corey Liuget, Illinois, should be able to surpass Jacques Cesaire (-5.5) for the starting spot. 7th round sleeper Andrew Gachkar from Missouri and Jonas Mouton (2nd rounder, Michigan) will be the backups at inside linebacker. Gachkar, not Mouton, was actually on the 2nd team alongside veteran Stephen Cooper until Cooper tore his bicep forcing Mouton to step in. Last year’s 3rd rounder Donald Butler, who missed the entire season, may have some competition on his hands. Marcus Gilchrist brought flexibility to play both Safety and Cornerback with him from Clemson, a big reason why San Diego selected him in the 2nd round. Right now he won’t make much noise in fantasy behind Antoine Cason (+9.1) and Quentin Jammer (+0.2), but should figure to see time in nickel and dime coverage.
Seattle Seahawks
1st team: no rookies; 2nd SLB Malcolm Smith, MLB K.J. Wright, CB Richard Sherman, FS Mark LeGree
Fantasy Implications: As you can see, Pete Carroll has no qualms when putting rookies high on the depth chart. Not only does Seattle have the four players listed on their 2nd team defense but they also have a mind-boggling 5 rookies (4 being UDFA) on their 3rd team. Malcolm Smith is a former Trojan under Carroll and the brother of current Philadelphia Eagles WR Steve Smith. He is super athletic (4.47 40-yard dash) but undersized at around 225 lbs. Could be someone exciting to watch but until he cracks the lineup he’s just an athletic backup. K.J. Wright had a strong enough season with the surging Mississippi Bulldogs to be selected in the 4th round. Unfortunate for him, he has David Hawthorne ahead of him who is just coming off of a breakout year where he graded +21.3 overall en route to a team high 96 tackles. Mark LeGree, Appalachian State has a similar skillset to the man he’s backing up, Earl Thomas. Don’t expect him to force the 1st rounder Thomas to the bench anytime soon though. With Richard Sherman, you have a tall (nearly 6’3) cornerback from Stanford. Sherman could see time but he won’t do much fantasy wise with the wealth of veterans at the CB position in Seattle.
San Francisco 49ers
1st team: no rookies; 2nd team: DE Demarcus Dobbs, OLB Aldon Smith, CB Chris Culliver
Fantasy Implications: An UDFA out of Georgia, Dobbs has been a surprise early on but who does he think he is, Justin Smith? Not much fantasy impact to see here. The team’s 1st round pick Aldon Smith was a 4-3 DE in Missouri but he has shown enough to the 49ers staff to have him as a 2nd stringer. Once things start to click, he will find his way to get on the field in pass rushing downs especially. His lack of tackles will likely make him a fantasy player to avoid. Chris Culliver (3rd round, South Carolina) will likely give veteran Shawntae Spencer no job security, especially after posting a meager -7.9 overall rating last season. The competition for the starting cornerback spot opposite of new signee Carlos Rogers will be one to monitor.
St. Louis Rams
1st team: DE Robert Quinn; 2nd team: no rookies
Fantasy Implications: While Robert Quinn is breaking off some rust after not playing in well over a year, the fact that the 1st rounder from UNC is already holding down the starting job as weak-side pass rusher deserves praise. If there’s a head coach who knows defensive ends too, it’s Steve Spagnuolo. Quinn could be a candidate to get 10 or more sacks but whether or not he can hold his own in run defense may be the determining factor as to exactly how many snaps he gets per game. It may also be worthwhile in dynasty leagues to stash 7th rounder SLB Jabara Williams (Stephen F. Austin) and 5th rounder Safety Jermale Hines (Ohio State) on your rosters as it could pay off sometime down the road.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1st team: DE Adrian Clayborn, MLB Mason Foster; 2nd team: Da’Quan Bowers
Fantasy Implications: Adrian Clayborn, the team’s 1st rounder from Iowa has reportedly been going at it in practice with LT Donald Penn. With Penn’s pass block rating of -11.3, that should give Clayborn plenty of experience in blowing by suspect blockers. New England Patriots 1st rounder Nate Solder in the Buccaneers’ 2nd preseason game was not so nice. Clayborn spent more time on the ground than a starting DE should. He was able to get some pressure but in the Patriots high-tempo offense he was rendered almost useless. Still, if Adrian Clayborn can keep his motor running, he may end up being one of the more active tacklers at DE. MLB Mason Foster is someone who I liked a ton coming out of Washington. The Bucs apparently like him too; they took him in the 3rd round, plugged him into the starting spot from the beginning, and never even noticed Barrett Ruud leaving the building. If Ruud can get 82 tackles, Foster should be able to match that easily. 2nd teamer Da’Quan Bowers (2nd round, Clemson) is someone that the Bucs seem to be bringing along cautiously due to knee injuries which caused him to fall in the draft. It’s tough to gauge how much they plan to use him so I would not draft him until we know what percent he will be operating at.
Tennessee Titans
1st team: LOLB Akeem Ayers; 2nd team: DT Jurrell Casey, MLB Colin McCarthy
Fantasy Implications: Akeem Ayers (round 2) is a playmaker at the outside linebacker position. While with the UCLA Bruins, he had 14 sacks, 29.5 TFL, intercepted 6 passes, and caused 7 fumbles. Still, playmaking ability at linebacker isn’t very easy to project. That considered, I would be careful of Ayers as he doesn’t pile on the tackle points (only finished 4th on his team in tackling his senior year) but if you’re feeling bold he might pay off as a late draft pick. He still has value in dynasty leagues as one could imagine. DT Jurrell Casey was the team’s 3rd rounder from USC and he will be in on the rotation, but won’t pile on the stats. Colin McCarthy (4th round) out of “the U” should challenge to steal playing time from new acquisition Barrett Ruud, who in Tampa Bay last season graded -13.3 (49th out of 50 middle linebackers).
Washington Redskins
1st team: LOLB Ryan Kerrigan; 2nd team: DE Jarvis Jenkins
Fantasy Implications: Ryan Kerrigan was such a machine last year for Purdue that the Redskins couldn’t help but select him in the 1st round. 70 tackles, 26 TFL, 12.5 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles in his senior year – those are ridiculous even in a video game. Still, that was done with his hand in the dirt at 4-3 DE. In Washington he’s expected to be the Ying to Brian Orakpo’s Yang as a stand-up outside linebacker for the 3-4. I always like to wait and see how it looks in the regular season when a player is making a big transition like that. 2nd rounder from Clemson Jarvis Jenkins was challenging Adam Carriker for playing time but is now out for the season with a torn ACL. A dark-horse to watch out for is third-stringer Safety Dejon Gomes out of Nebraska, who has had a great preseason and may end up as the first man in if either LaRon Landry or A.J. Atogwe miss any time this year.
Whew, and there you have it. It seems to me like there were more 1st team starters at this end of the alphabet. If you stuck with me here from M-W, you know something that the quitters who only read part 1 don’t. Now, go use that knowledge, and take home that title belt.
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